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A review by sofia_the_scholar
Roman Year by André Aciman
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I am not one to read fiction or autobiographical books. But I am one who likes to read stories about people, and that was something that I read.
Having only read "Call Me By Your Name" I didn't know the totality of his experiences to understand his writing, but I think I got to know him a bot better. I couldn't fathom his past, how he was an immigrant from Egypt, and how his stay in Italy for approximately a year and a half solidified his desire for reading and later to becoming a writer (at this point I wanted to add that young Aciman and I I both share an aversion of Kafka). Having to move to another country, especially only with one of your parent (who is deaf), with your younger sibling, while being afraid of the warzone on your home country and also being afraid of adapting to recipient one, is definitely overwhelming. Honestly, I liked the narration of Via Clelia, and the romanticizing of it, but what made me like the book more was not hiding the problems that his family had to overcome.
This book also touches a lot upon the complicated relationship with your parents. Firstly, in accordance with his relationship with his mother, who even though she was deaf with two hearing children, she did everything she could in the house, and even though the writer and his brother wholeheartedly admired her, they sometimes were embarrassed, but not because of her disability, but of how much the society would force any kind of discrimination upon her. On the other hand, the relationship with his father is entirely friendly. While he was working before he came to Italy to be with his family, it was obvious that he didn't respect the mother of his children, and that became more apparent when he went to live in Paris. Nevertheless, he was the one who inspired the writer to read, and he wouldn't be the same without his talks with him. Finally, I definitely did not like Uncle Claude for numerous reasons, that if I analyzed now, all the paper in the world wouldn't be enough.
A book about immigration, about finding your place in the world, coming-of-age and a thorough insight on Aciman's life in Rome that cultivated a part of his personality.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Having only read "Call Me By Your Name" I didn't know the totality of his experiences to understand his writing, but I think I got to know him a bot better. I couldn't fathom his past, how he was an immigrant from Egypt, and how his stay in Italy for approximately a year and a half solidified his desire for reading and later to becoming a writer (at this point I wanted to add that young Aciman and I I both share an aversion of Kafka). Having to move to another country, especially only with one of your parent (who is deaf), with your younger sibling, while being afraid of the warzone on your home country and also being afraid of adapting to recipient one, is definitely overwhelming. Honestly, I liked the narration of Via Clelia, and the romanticizing of it, but what made me like the book more was not hiding the problems that his family had to overcome.
This book also touches a lot upon the complicated relationship with your parents. Firstly, in accordance with his relationship with his mother, who even though she was deaf with two hearing children, she did everything she could in the house, and even though the writer and his brother wholeheartedly admired her, they sometimes were embarrassed, but not because of her disability, but of how much the society would force any kind of discrimination upon her. On the other hand, the relationship with his father is entirely friendly. While he was working before he came to Italy to be with his family, it was obvious that he didn't respect the mother of his children, and that became more apparent when he went to live in Paris. Nevertheless, he was the one who inspired the writer to read, and he wouldn't be the same without his talks with him. Finally, I definitely did not like Uncle Claude for numerous reasons, that if I analyzed now, all the paper in the world wouldn't be enough.
A book about immigration, about finding your place in the world, coming-of-age and a thorough insight on Aciman's life in Rome that cultivated a part of his personality.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!